Hanging type of edge illuminated signs



July 9, 1940. T. J.ID. FULLER. JR,

HANGING TYPE OF EDGE ILLUMINATED SIGNS Filed April 1, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ilorlzey July 9, 19400 T. J. D. FULLER, JR

HANGING TYPE OF EDGE ILLUMINATED SIGNS Filed April 1. 1959zsneets-sneet'z Ill/i/ ,50 I i, I mgfifnvenairf. h 3% wil fliia rneys.

l -aienteoi July 9, i940 l'iED STATES PATENT oFFicE i]' HANGING TYPE OFEDGE ILLUMINATE SIGNS Thomas J. D. Fuller, Jr., Cambridge, Mass. v p

Application April 1, 1939, Serial No. 265,575 2 Claims. (Cl. 40-130)This invention relates to the hanging type of One embodiment-of theinvention is illustrated edge illuminated glass signs. Such signs cominFigs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawingsiand prise a frame adapted tobe suspended and carcomprises a transparent glass panel ill which ryinga panel of plate glass depending theremay be suspended from above itsupper edge by from. The frame provides a light chamber for chains Hwhich are connected to a hook l2'fixed 5 projecting light rays throughthe upper edge of in the upper endroffleachof a pair of spaced U- thepanel. Letters, figures or other symbols of shaped meter-strips l3. Eachof the strips l3 the sign are etched in a face of the glass panelstraddles the upper edge of the "panel I0 and is as by a sand blast. Therays'of light which secured to the panel by a bolt M passing throughenter the upper edge of the glass at greater than the panel at a pointspaced from its edge and 10 the critical angle of reflection areconfined withfixed in each arm of the U -shapedst rip i3. in thesurfaces of the glass and are caught by A'light chamber 20 is supportedupon the upthe etched symbols making the sign stand out per edge portionof the panel wand comprises clearly against the transparency of theglass. 9. frame having end blocks 2! each provided with In the hangingtype of edge illuminated signs a groove 23 formed in its bottom edge.The end 15 afllm of dirt quickly collects upon the upper edge member 2|are provided with vertical ribs 9 proof the glass panel through whichthe light rays jecting laterally from each of their front and must passto illuminate the sign. Heretofore, back faces intermediate their endsmid are'consuch signs have been so constructed that it was nected byspaced channel members 24 and 25,

diilicult, and in many cases impossible, to clean the ends of which fitthe portions of the blocks 20 the lighted edge of the glass panelwithout unbetween the faces thereof and the groove in the hanging ordisassembling the sign. For this bottom surfaces and abut the ribs 9.The chanreason the upper edge of the glass panel seldom nel members aresecured to the end members 2| was cleaned and, consequently, theemciency of by screws 26. Each of the end blocks 2| also 25 the signrapidly decreased. is provided with a vertical passage 2 through 25 Itis an object of the present invention to inwhich one of the U-shapedmetal strips i3 procrease the efliclency of a sign of this generaljects. character so as to maintain maximum illumina- A double electriclainpsocket '30 rests upon tion of the etched symbols atall times. thechannel members 26 and 25 so as to straddle 30 It is a further object ofthe invention to prothe space therebetween and is held securely in 30vide a sign construction in which the light source this position by ametal band 3! extending over is readily available for replacementwithout-dis-= the socket 30 and held at its ends by bolts Bland mantlingthe sign. 33 secured to the channel members 24 and 25,

The invention will be more clearly understood respectively.' Electriclight bulbs 35 and 36 fit 35 from the following description inconjunction opposite ends of the socket 30 and are positioned 35 withthe accompanying drawings: in which, closetothe upper edge of the aneli0.- -O'ne Fig. l is a front elevational view of a sign emof the endblocks ii is provided with a longibodying the invention: tudinal passage39 to receive an electrical con- Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. I withparts of duit 43 for supplying electric energy to the socket the signspaced apart; 30. An inverted U-shaped cover 31 extends'be- 40 Fig. 3 isa sectional elevationalview of a portween the ribs 9 of the end blocks2! and rests tion of the sign; upon the latter so as 'to enclose. thelamps 35 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of one end and 36 and thechannel members 32 and 33. The of the sign with one of the partsremoved; cover 31 is provided with a plurality of openings 45 Figs. 5and 6 are sectional views taken upon 38 in its top surface to provide anoutlet for 45 the lines '5-5 and 6-6 of Figs. 1 and, 3, respecheatdeveloped by the bulbs 35 and 36. tively; y In the sign constructiondescribed the light Fig. 7 is an elevational view of a modified signchamber 20 is supported upon the top edge porconstruction; tion of theglass panel l0 and may be raised 5 Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectionalelevational above the panel by sliding along the guides proview of aportion of the sign illustrated in Fig. 7; vided by the U-shaped metalstrips l3 and the and spaced chains II as indicated in Fig. 2.. WhenFigs. 9 and 10 are sectional views taken upon the light chamber 20 is inthe position indicated the lines 9-9 and l0lll of Figs. '7 and 8,respecin Fig. 2 the top edge of the panel 20 may be as tively. l 1 Ireadily cleaned and the light chamber 20 may ii 7 Q I I then be returnedto its operative position upon the top edge of the panel as indicated inFig. 1. This permits the frequent cleaning of the top edge of the panel10 without unhanging or disassembling the sign. Furthermore, thestructure permits ready access to the light chamber for the purpose ofreplacing the bulbs 35 and 36 by merely lifting the cover 31.

For larger signs, the construction illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10 ispreferred. In this construction a glass panel 45 is fitted in a framecom prising vertical channel members 41 which are secured at their lowerends to the ends of a horizontal channel 48 by bolts 49. The channelmembers 4'! and 48 are provided with felt runners 50 and 5! respectivelyfor receiving the edges of the panel 45 to hold the panel firmly withoutdanger of breakage. The channel members 4'! extend above the top edge ofthe panel 45 and each has a bolt 53 secured in its upper ed e as bybeing embedded in solder. A chain 54 connected to an eye bolt 55 at itslower end is connected to each of the bolts 53 by a turn buckle 56. g

A light chamber is arranged to rest upon the upper edge of the panel 45and comprises spaced end members 2! which may be formed as a metalcasting having spaced parallel walls 58 extending longitudinally inwardintermediate the front and back edges of the end members. Each of theend members 2| also is provided with a front platform 59 and a backplatform 60 extending laterally outward from the spaced walls 58 andlongitudinally beyond the walls 58. The end members 2| are connected byspaced channel members GI and 52, the channel members 6| extendingbetween the platforms 60 and the channel member 62 extending between theplatforms 59 and being secured thereto by screws 63. Front and rearpanels 54 and 55 respectively extend between and are secured to the endmembers by welding. A removable cover 65 also is provided for enclosingthe top of the light chamber 20' and is provided with down-turnedflanges 61 adapted to rest upon shoulders 68 formed upon the front andrear panels 64 and 65 which are shaped to conform to the front and rearportions of the end members 2i. Electric light bulb sockets 10 rest uponand straddle the space between the channel members 5| and 62 and areheld in position by a metal band H passing over the same and secured atits ends ,by bolts 12 fixed in the channel members 6| and 62.

The space between the plates 58 of the end members 2| provides a passagefor the projecting upper ends of the channel members M so as to permitthe sockets iii to engage the upper edge of the panel 45 and supportthelight chamber 2|. Thus, in this construction also the light chambermay be raised from its normal position upon the upper edge portion ofthe glass panel to the position as indicated in Fig. 8 so as to permitready cleaning of the upper edge of the panel 45. So also the cover 56may be readily removed to permit access to the interior of the lightchamber 20' to permit replacement of the light bulb in the sockets Ill.

The construction of the invention permits the top edge of the glasspanel to be cleaned as frequently as required and the light bulbs to bereplaced without dismantling or unhanging the sign. Inasmuch as thelight chamber may be readily removed from the glass panel these twoparts may be separately packed for shipment and easily assembled for useand the danger of breakage during transit is greatly reduced.

I claim:

1. An edge illuminated sign comprising a transparent panel, a frameprovided with a slot to receive the top edge of the panel and adapted to0 rest upon said panel solely by the action of gravity, said framehaving a pair of vertical passages communicating with said slot, asocket for an electric light bulb carried by said frame, and means forsuspending said panel from above said frame including a pair of memberssecured to said panel and projecting through said slot into saidpassages whereby said members serve as guides permitting said frame tobe raised oil said panel topermit the top edge of the latter to bemaintained free from light obstructing material.

2. An edge illuminated sign comprising a transparent panel, a frameprovided with a slot to receive the top edge of the panel and adapted torest upon said panel solely by the action of gravity, said frame havinga pair of vertical passages communicating with said slot, a socket foran electric light bulb carried by said frame, and means for suspendingsaid panel from above said frame including a pair of members secured tosaid panel and projecting through said slot into said passages wherebysaid members serve as guides permitting said frame to be raised off saidpanel to permit the top edge of the latter to be amaintained free fromlight obstructing material, said frame having a top cover movable topermit access to said bulb when said frame is resting upon the top edgeof said panel.

THOMAS J. D. FULLER, JR.

